Effect of Additional Cross-linking of Continuous Chemical Stress Relaxation of cis-Polybutadiene

Abstract

Continuous and intermittent stress relaxation experiments were carried out on dicumyl peroxide cured cis-polybutadiene in high vacuum and in air at several temperatures. An extension of the “two-network theory” is proposed whereby the effectiveness of a cross-link at various extension ratios is experimentally defined. The effectiveness varies from unity at an extension ratio of unity to zero at very high extension ratios.